The 2014 T20 World Cup champions and two-time runner-up, Sri Lanka, have always performed exceedingly well in the shorter format. Irrespective of their performances in the other two formats, Sri Lanka is a tough team in the T20Is. They always posed a big challenge, both at home and outside. One of the reasons was the batting power of some of the big names in the game of cricket.
With the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka has always fielded a tough team. With so many big names in the team, the team’s performance would surely go up. Notably, two Sri Lankan batters have registered centuries in T20 internationals.
So in this article, we will cover the list of highest individuals scores for Sri Lanka in T20 cricket.
3. Mahela Jayawardene (98* runs) against West Indies at Bridgetown
Mahela Jayawardene is certainly one of the greatest players in the game of cricket. He has four out of the top seven scores for Sri Lanka in T20 cricket. It was the 16th match of the 2010 World Cup. Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to bat first. They lost the wicket of Sanath Jayasuriya early. But after that, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara added 166 runs for the second wicket. Sangakkara scored 68 runs, while Jayawardene carried his bat through the innings.
He remained unbeaten and missed a well-deserved century by just two runs. The right-hander scored 98* off 56 balls, with 9 fours and four sixes, to help his team reach 195/3 in their 20 overs. In reply, the West Indies only scored 138/8 and lost the match by 57 runs. Jayawardene won the “Man of the Match” award for his performance.
2. Mahela Jayawardene (100 runs) against Zimbabwe at Providence
The first ever century for Sri Lanka came from the bat of Mahela Jayawardene. That is why he is the best batter for Sri Lanka in this format. It was the 7th match of the 2010 World Cup at Providence between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bat first. They had a bad start, losing Dilshan (2) early in the third over. But Jayawardene was solid at one end of the crease.
He struck a 63-ball century and took his team to a competitive total. It was the first century by a Sri Lankan batsman. He made 100 runs off 64 balls, with 10 fours and four sixes. Sri Lanka scored 173/7 in their 20 overs. However, the match was affected by the rain and it was reduced to a 5 over match. The target given to Zimbabwe was 42 runs in 5 overs. However, they only scored 29/1 and lost the match by 14 runs (D/L method).
1. Tillakaratne Dilshan (104* runs) against Australia (Highest T20 score by Sri Lankan)
The highest score by a Sri Lankan batter comes under the name of Tillakaratne Dilshan. It was the first game of the two-match series at Pallekele. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka had a shaky start and they kept losing wickets. But skipper Dilshan held one end and played steadily at the start. But then, he kept up the pace and scored a 55-ball century to help his team reach a nearby 200.
Dilshan made 104* off 57 balls, with 12 fours and 5 sixes, and Sri Lanka made 198/3 in their 20 overs. In response, Australia had a decent start, but they couldn’t carry on at the required rate. In the end, Australia only scored 163/8 in their 20 overs and lost the match by 35 runs. Dilshan won the “Man of the Match” for his century.
List of Highest Individual T20 Score for Sri Lanka
| Player | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 104* | 57 | 12 | 5 | Australia | Pallekele | 6 Aug 2011 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 100 | 64 | 10 | 4 | Zimbabwe | Providence | 3 May 2010 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 98* | 56 | 9 | 4 | West Indies | Bridgetown | 7 May 2010 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | 96* | 57 | 12 | 2 | West Indies | The Oval | 19 Jun 2009 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 89 | 51 | 11 | 3 | England | Chattogram | 27 Mar 2014 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 88 | 44 | 11 | 4 | Kenya | Johannesburg | 14 Sep 2007 |
| Mahela Jayawardene | 86 | 63 | 12 | 1 | Australia | Pallekele | 8 Aug 2011 |
| Asela Gunaratne | 84* | 46 | 6 | 5 | Australia | Geelong | 19 Feb 2017 |
| Isuru Udana | 84* | 48 | 8 | 6 | South Africa | Centurion | 22 Mar 2019 |
| Kusal Perera | 84 | 59 | 5 | 4 | Pakistan | Dubai (DSC) | 13 Dec 2013 |